WO1986006516A1

WO1986006516A1 - Portable personal computing system

Info

Publication number: WO1986006516A1
Application number: PCT/US1986/000683
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pierre L. Crease
Original assignee: Ncr Corporation
Priority date: 1985-04-26
Filing date: 1986-04-07
Publication date: 1986-11-06
Also published as: US4736332A; CA1247221A; EP0220212B1; DE3669795D1; JPS62502639A; EP0220212A1

Abstract

A portable computing system includes a container (10) having first and second sections (14, 16) connected together by hinges (25) and support members (26, 28). A keyboard (32) is mounted in the first section (14) and a display (34) is mounted on the support members (26, 28), such that when the container (10) is moved from a closed to an open position, the display (34) is moved automatically from a position parallel with the first section (14) to a viewing angle. In the open position of the container (16), the first section (14) acts as a base and the second section (16) is supported by the support members (26, 28) at an angle less than 90?o such that a supporting chamber (66) containing disc drive units (34, 36) is pivoted forward by gravity to render the disc drive units (36, 38) accessible for receiving discs. A carrying handle (22) is provided on the second section (16).

Description

PORTABLE PERSONAL COMPUTING SYSTEM

This invention relates to portable computing systems of the kind including: a container having first and second sections; attaching means mounted on said first and second sections and enabling said first and second sections to be moved between a closed position for transporting said computing system and an open position for operating said computing system; computing means mounted in said container; and a keyboard unit, a display unit and a read/write unit mounted in said container and adapted to be presented in operative positions when said first and second sections are moved from said closed to said open position

Background Art

A portable computing system of the kind specified is known from U.S. Patent No. 4,294,496. In the known portable computing system first and second enclosures are hinged together and can be closed together to form a suitcase - type cabinet. The first enclosure includes a main frame having a display at its closable end, openings being provided for the reception of disc drives through a covering over the display. To provide shielding from ambient light, extensions of the top and side panels of the first enclosure extend beyond the display to form a hood. The second enclosure has a keyboard at its closable end, a front panel backing the keyboard and a carrying handle extending from the front panel. In the open position, the first enclosure is placed on a support surface, the second enclosure being supported by foot pads which contact the support surface at a location remote from the hinge. This has the disadvantage that a large amount of support surface area is required to support the computing system in its operating position. Disclosure of the Invention

It is the object of the present invention to provide a portable computing system of the kind specified wherein the aforementioned disadvantage is alleviated.

Therefore, according to the present invention, there is provided a portable computing system of the kind specified, characterized in that said keyboard is mounted in said first section which serves as a base for said system, the arrangement being such that, when said first and second sections are moved from said closed to said open position, said attaching means is adapted to hold said second section relative to said first section such that said container is maintained in said open position.

An advantage of a portable computing system according to the invention is that it is simple and inexpensive to implement. A further advantage is that the keyboard unit, display unit and read/write unit are presented in an operative position when the container is opened to the operating position.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container for the computer system is implemented in the form of an attache case, thereby minimizing the risk of theft of the computing system.

Brief Description of the Drawings

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general, perspective view of a preferred embodiment of this invention showing its appearance when the container (attache case) is in the closed position;

Fig. 2 is a general, perspective view of the computing system of this invention showing a keyboard unit, a display unit, and a read/write unit which are ready for operation when the container is opened;

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the computing system incorporated into the container shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and it is used to show the means for mounting the keyboard unit within the container;

Fig. 5 is a view which is taken along the general line 5-5 in Fig. 2 to show additional details of the means for mounting the display unit and the read/write units;

Fig. 6 is a view taken along the general line 6-6 of Fig. 5 to show additional details of the means for mounting the display unit; and

Fig. 7 is an end view in elevation which is taken from the direction of arrow A in Fig. 6 to show the movement of the display unit as the second section of the container is moved towards the closed position.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Fig. 1 is a general, perspective view of a container 10 which houses a known computing system 12, shown schematically in Fig. 3. In the preferred embodiment, the container 10 is an attache case. The container 10 is comprised of first and second sections 14 and 16, respectively, which are shown in the closed position in Fig. 1 for transporting it. Conventional locks 18 and 20 are used to lock the two sections 14 and 16 together, and a handle 22 is used for carrying the container 10.

When the system 12 is to be used, the first section 14 of the container 10 is placed on a table 24, for example, the locks 18 and 20 are opened, and the second section 16 is raised to the open or operating position shown in Fig. 2. The second section 16 forms an angle of less than 90 degrees with the first section 14 when the container 10 is in the operating position, and it is held in this position by a hinge 25 (Fig. 5) and by support members 26 and 28 which will be described further hereinafter.

When the container 10 is in the operating position shown in Fig. 2, an electrical plug 30 is inserted into a 110 VAC outlet (not shown) to provide power to the system 12. Notice that when the section 16 is raised to the position shown in Fig. 2, the system 12 is ready for operation. In this regard, a keyboard unit 32, a display unit 34, and read/write units such as disk drive units 36 and 38 are properly positioned for use by an operator. Before discussing the operation of the system 12, it appears appropriate to discuss how the various elements already discussed are mounted within the container 10.

The means for mounting the keyboard unit 32 within the container 10 is shown in Fig. 4, and this means includes a hinge 40 and a stop 42. One leaf 40- 1 of the hinge 40 is secured to the first section 14, and the remaining leaf 40-2 is secured to the keyboard unit 32 to enable the unit 32 to pivot slightly about the hinge pin 40-3. The stop 42 is conventional and adjustable and is used to enable the end 32-1 of the keyboard unit 32 to be supported in a raised position when the keyboard unit 32 is pivoted slightly about the hinge pin 40-3 (counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 4) to change the angle of the keyboard unit 32 relative to the table 24 to suit operator preferences. The hinge 40 may also be a conventional separable hinge which permits the keyboard unit to be removed from the container 10 to accommodate operator preference. Prior to closing the container 10, the stop 42 is returned to its lower position to provide for compactness within the container 10. The means for mounting the display unit 34 within the container 10 includes the support members 26 and 28 (Fig. 2) alluded to earlier herein. Because the support members 26 and 28 are identical, except for being mirror images of each other, a discussion of only support member 26 will follow.

The support member 26 is comprised of two links 26-1 and 26-2 as shown in Figs 5, 6, and 7. Link 26-1 has one end pivotally joined to a sidewall 14-1 of the first section 14 by a washer 44 and a fastener 46 as shown best in Fig. 6. The remaining end of link 26-1 is pivotally joined to link 26-2 (between its ends) by a fastener 48. One end of link 26-2 is pivotally joined to the sidewall 16-1 of the second section 16 by a washer 50 and a fastener 52 as shown best in Fig. 6, and the remaining end of link 26-2 has an offset portion or tang 54 thereon. The tang 54 fits into a notch 56 (Fig. 5) in the link 26-1 when the second section 16 is in the raised or open position relative to the first section 14 (as shown in Fig. 5) to "lock" the second section 16 in the position shown. To lower the second section 16, the link 26-1 is simply moved or pivoted about fastener 46 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5, causing the second section 16 to assume the position shown in Fig. 7 before coming in contact with the first section 14 for closing. The remaining support member 28 (Fig. 2) operates in the same manner as does support member 26. The link 26-2 has a slight projection or detent 58 (Fig. 7) which mates with a cooperating recess 60 on link 26-1 to help support the second section 16 in the position shown in Fig. 5.

The support members 26 and 28 also perform the function of moving the display unit 34 from a first position in which the display unit 34 is substantially parallel to the first section 14 when the container 10 is closed and for moving the display unit 34 to a second position, shown in Fig. 5, where the display unit 34 is positioned at a proper viewing angle for a user of the system 10 who is operating the keyboard unit 32. In this regard, there is a spacer block 62 (Figs. 5, 6, and 7) positioned between the display unit 34 and the link 26-2, and the fastener 48, which couples the links 26-1 and 26-2 together, is also used to secure one end of the spacer block 62 to the link 26-2. The remaining end of the spacer block 62 is secured to the link 26-2 by a fastener 64. The spacer block 62 is secured to the display unit 34 by a suitable adhesive. There is a similar spacer block (not shown) associated with the support member 28 to secure the opposite side of the display unit 34 to the support member 28.

The means for mounting disc drive units 36 and 38 is shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and it includes the supporting member or chamber 66 shown in Fig. 5. The supporting chamber 66 is essentially a narrow but wide container which has its lower end pivotally joined to a cross member 68 by a hinge 70. The cross member 68 is supported within the second section 16. The movement of the supporting chamber 66 out of the second section 16 is limited by a flexible tension member 72 as shown in Fig. 5. When the container 10 is in the operating position shown in Fig. 5, the first section 14 and the second section 16 are held apart at an included angle of less than 90 degrees causing the center of gravity of the chamber 66 to produce a turning moment which pivots the chamber 66 about the hinge 70 to the operating position shown.

The supporting chamber 66 is divided into three compartments, as shown in Fig. 2, for the preferred embodiment being described. Disc drive unit 36 is placed in one compartment, disc drive unit 38 is placed in the second compartment, and the third compartment 74 may be used for the storage of floppy discs associated with the disc drive units 36 and 38. A floppy disc 76 (only a portion shown in Fig. 5) is aligned with the receiving slot 78 for insertion into the disc drive unit 38 shown only in dashed outline in Fig. 5. The supporting chamber 66 has attractive padding material 80 (Fig. 5) located at least on the side which faces the keyboard unit 32 so that these two units are insulated from shock or damage when the second section 16 is moved towards the first section 14 for closing. The tension member 72 (Fig. 5) also keeps the supporting member 66 from crashing against the keyboard unit 14 as the container 10 is closed. The computing system 12 which is housed in the container 10 is shown in Fig. 3. Because the computing system 12 is conventional, it will be described only briefly herein. The system 12 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 82 and system clock 84 along with buffers 86, 88, and 90 which are used to couple the address bus 92, data bus 94, and control bus 96, respectively, to the CPU 82. The system 12 also includes a bootstrap ROM 98, a RAM 100, a keyboard interface 102, a display interface 104, a disc controller chip and interface 106, a printer interface 108, and a communication interface such as the universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) 110, with each of the component elements mentioned in this sentence being coupled to the address bus 92, the data bus 94, and the control bus 96 as shown by lines A, D, and C respectively, which are shown only for the display interface 104 to simplify the drawing. The system 12 also includes a power supply 112 which converts 110 VAC to the necessary voltage levels for the various components shown in Fig. 3. While the . system 12 is shown as being operated form 110 VAC, the power supply 112 could also represent a battery- operated system where appropriate. The keyboard unit 32 is connected to the keyboard interface 102 by conductors shown as 114. The display unit 34 is coupled to display circuits 116 by conductors 118 which are routed under fabric 120 (partially broken away in Fig. 2) to protect the conductors and to present a neat appearance for the interior of the container 10. In the embodiment described, the display unit 34 is of the liquid crystal variety to provide compactness. The data to be displayed appears within the rectangle 122, although, other designs or layouts may be used. The display circuits 116 associated with the particular display unit 34 used are coupled to the display interface 104 by conductors 124.

The disc drive unit 36 and the disc drive unit 38 are coupled to the disc controller chip and interface 106 by conductors 126 and 128, respectively, which also are located under the fabric 120 (Fig. 2) to present a neat appearance to the interior of the container 10.

In order to couple the computing system 12 to a printer, for example, a coupling 130 and associated conductor 132 (Fig. 2) are used to couple the printer interface 108 (Fig. 3) to a printer (not shown). Similarly, in order to couple the computing system 12 to various ports or modems, a coupling 134 and associated conductor 136 are used to couple these ports and modems to the UART 110 shown in Fig. 3. The couplings 130 and 134 are shown only schematically in Fig. 3. In certain situations, the modems may be included on a printed circuit card which is part of the system 12.

The elements of the computing system 12 such as the CPU 82, RAM 100 and various interfaces like 102 and 106, for example, are located in a compartment 138 (Fig. 4) which is located in the keyboard unit 32. Naturally, the size of the container 10 may be adjusted to accommodate the particular computing system 12 employed.

When the container 10 is opened to the operating position shown in Fig. 2, the computing system 12 may be conventionally operated by entering data and instructions on the keys 32-2, 32-3, for example, of the keyboard unit 32, by using the disc drive units 36 and 38 and the display unit 34, and by outputting data to peripheral devices like a printer via the coupling 130.

Claims

1. A portable computing system, including: a container (10) having first and second sections (14, 16); attaching means (25, 26, 28) mounted on said first and second sections (14, 16) and enabling said first and second sections (14, 16) to be moved between a closed position for transporting said computing system and an open position for operating said computing system; computing means (12) mounted in said container (10); and a keyboard unit (32) a display unit (34) and a read/write unit (36, 38) mounted in said container (10) and adapted to be presented in operative positions when said first and second sections (14, 16) are moved from said closed to said open position, characterized in that said keyboard (32) is mounted in said first section (14) which serves as a base for said system, the arrangement being such that, when said first, and second sections (14, 16) are moved from said closed to said open position, said attaching means (25, 26, 28) is adapted to hold said second section (16) relative to said first section (14) such that said container (10) is maintained in said open position.

2. A portable computing system according to Claim 1 characterized in that said display unit (34) is of generally planar construction and is mounted on said attaching means (25, 26, 28), such that said display unit (34) is moved from a first position in which said display unit (34) is substantially parallel to said first section (14) when said container (10) is in said closed position to a second position in which said display unit (34) is positioned at a viewing angle relative to an operator using said keyboard unit (32) when said container (10) is in said open position.

3. A portable computing system according to Claim 2, characterized in that said attaching means (25, 26, 28) includes first and second link members (26-1, 26-2) mounted on said first and second section (14, 16) respectively, said first and second link members (26-1, 26-2) being pivotally linked together by fastener means (48), said second link member (26-2) being provided with a projection (54) adapted to cooperate with a notch (56) in said first link member (26-1) to maintain said container (10) in said open position.

4. A portable computing system according to Claim 3, characterized in that said display unit (34) is mounted on said second link member (26-2).

5. A portable computing system according to Claim 1, characterized in that when said container is in said open position, said first and second sections (14, 16) are held apart at an angle of less than 90 f.

6. A portable computing system according to Claim 5, characterized in that said read/write unit (36, 38) is mounted in support means (66) mounted for pivotal movement on said second section (16), such that when said container is in said open position said support means (66) is moved by gravity to an operative position.

7. A portable computing system according to Claim 6, characterized in that a tension member (72), mounted on said second section (16), is adapted to limit the movement of said support means (66) in its operative position.

8. A portable computing system according to Claim 7, characterized in that said read/write unit (36, 38) is a disc unit, and in that said support means (66) includes a compartment (74) for storing discs associated with said disc unit (36, 38).

9. A portable computing system according to Claim 1, characterized in that said keyboard unit (32) is mounted in said first section (14) by a hinge (40) allowing pivotal movement of said keyboard unit (32) relative to said first section (14), adjustment means (42) being provided for controlling the angle of said keyboard unit (32) relative to an operator using said keyboard unit (32) when said container (10) is in said open position.

10. A portable computing system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container (10) has the appearance of an attache case having a deep section (16) and a lid section (14), said first and second sections (14, 16) corresponding to said lid and deep sections (14, 16), respectively.